Can an Old Diesel Be as Quick as a New One? Ram HD Diesel vs GMC Sierra vs Silverado Duramax Drag Race

2018 gmc sierra hd ram 2500 diesel cummins heavy duramax

Recently, we put three high torque HD diesel trucks, old and new, to the test in a drag race and see which diesel ranked supreme – and how much faster are the new trucks, or are they?

What is defined as old? In this case, it’s the 2002 Chevy Silverado HD, at least when you put it up next to the brand new 2018 Ram 2500 and the GMC Sierra. The 2002 Chevy Silverado came equipped with an “original” Duramax diesel putting out 300 horsepower with 520 foot-pounds of torque, but, Andre didn’t stop there, he also installed a cold air intake and a 3-inch MBRP exhaust system allowing a little bit more airflow.

The old Chevy is about 800 pounds lighter than Roman’s 2017 GMC Sierra HD, which puts out 910 foot-pounds of torque and 445 horsepower. The Sierra, being powered by the 6th generation Duramax, is also a 6.6-liter V8. The truck comes with a hood scoop (as Roman loves to point out). This is just a piece of what you get when you throw in the All Terrain Package, which beefs up the look of the truck.

Nathan sported the 2018 Ram 2500 Cummins Turbo Diesel. This truck came equipped with a 6.7-liter inline-6 with 370 horsepower and 800 foot-pounds of torque. There is a beefier version of this truck, which puts out a higher torque rating, however this one is the six-speed with a lighter duty transmission.

The results of the race favored Roman’s 2017 GMC Sierra HD with Nathan’s 2018 Ram 2500 in second, and Andre’s 2002 Chevy Silverado in third. In terms of power, the newer generation diesels have come a long way. Newer diesels undergo strict emission controls, which effects performance and reliability, however it appears all of that torque still gets the job done.